Like many of you, I have a big basket of washi tape that only seems to be growing, but I was clueless on what to use it for!

I'm not a scrapbooker, or one who makes cards. I've seen adorable projects on Pinterest and a few of my favorite crafting blogs, but they don't lend themselves to what I'm creating. I try to grab tapes in patterns I think I'll use enough to justify an entire roll, and have been traded many that I may not have liked at first, but fallen in love with.

Sure, I've taped down papers, photos, or different elements with washi tape in my art journals and a few paintings, and have started using them as collage elements themselves, but...how and where to use these delicious rolls of addictive happiness?

A few months ago, I was reminded of this post of Julie Balzer's, where she mentions using masking tape along the seams of her journal spreads to keep ink, paint, and more from bleeding through the stitching -- who hasn't had that happen to them before? This genius solution had me using masking tape in my own journals until, one day, I grabbed a thicker washi tape instead...and a favorite technique was born!

I now start my pages by looking through my collection and trades and grabbing one or two that grab me....the colors, pattern, etc. I may put one stripe down the entire thing, or patchwork them like seen above.

Since I'm not a huge fan of spreads, they can help separate two pages with a nice vertical line as well as influence what colors I'll be using on the pages.

Or maybe not! Sometimes, the tape gets colored and drawn over in spots, turning into just another element.

But it definitely saves the seam from leaks. Yes, it resists inks, as seen above, but paints and India Ink stick, as well as crayons, acrylics, and paint markers!

And at times, it sticks out, a border, simple, text, a bit of tinted color.

And at times, I create before I can get to it, and add it later, the layers underneath peeking through.

I'm using so much more of my tape, now, and just adore how it looks, no matter how I use it! These are just a few ideas of what you can do...how else do you think you could use washi tape to protect the seams in your art journals?

I've had Fibromyalgia/CFS for 17 years, along with an alphabet soup of medical issues. Creativity and art saved my life. I also write about grief, suicide/mental illness awareness, and chronic illness.

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I love layering marks and paint. You never know what is going to show through all of the layers. Just make marks - each mark inspires the next one, and yeah, you might cover up something you like, but it’s all part of the journey to create art with deeper meaning. You know what to do, so stop waiting for the muse to strike and play! #journalgirl #artjournal #mixedmedia #rangerink #ilovemyblackjournal

My take on #insanelyinspiredinstagram. Here’s where I create. I could also share my favorite coffee shop at my desk at work since I work wherever. That box on the left is where my favorite supplies go when I’m on the go - or sitting in my recliner since being a #spoonieartist makes it hard to sit at a desk for a long period of time. You can juuust see the tripod I have for filming videos. This L was made by my brother and I have inherited it. Favorite pieces and a color wheel hang above the desk. Everything is close by. And I rarely clean it up. 😉 #journalgirl #artist

Mood Board Monday is finally up...just needed a little time! I did a different workflow for this one and worked on it all over the place! I really like how it came out even if I didn’t have the space to write the quote I actually wanted to use! #journalgirl #mixedmedia #artjournal #janedavenport #fabercastell